1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to food products and to methods for their preparation. More particularly, the present invention relates to high intensity microwave heating of edible foams with subsequent drying to produce finished products particularly suitable for use in blends with R-T-E cereal pieces.
2. Background
Ready-To-Eat ("R-T-E") breakfast cereals are popular packaged food items. R-T-E cereals exist in large numbers of varieties including puffed and unpuffed, regular or presweetened, and including a wide variety of cereal compositions. The art is replete with various R-T-E cereal products that vary in shape, composition, texture, density, etc.
One popular category of R-T-E cereals comprises an R-T-E cereal base in combination with one or more additional ingredients. For example, flaked R-T-E cereals (e.g., bran flakes) are frequently mixed with raisins. Other blended R-T-E cereal products include mixtures of a puffed oat-based R-T-E cereal pieces with dried marshmallow-like pieces called "marbits." In still another example, a popular R-T-E cereal comprises a flaked R-T-E cereal together with a "nut cluster" which is a piece comprising nuts, starchy material, sugar, etc. Such combinations of an R-T-E cereal base together with the added ingredient(s) provide pleasing variety to R-T-E cereal products.
Notwithstanding the popularity of such blended R-T-E cereal products, such additives must possess a variety of attributes which collectively determine suitability for use as an added ingredient into such R-T-E cereal blends. One of the more important of these attributes is the feature of water activity. When added ingredients have water activities higher than the cereal base, moisture, upon storage migrates from the added ingredient to the cereal blend pieces seeking equilibration. As the cereal base pieces pick up moisture, the product quality deteriorates, exhibiting loss in crispness.
Still another attribute desirable in an R-T-E cereal piece is resistance to softening upon the addition of milk. Such resistance to the development of sogginess is referred to in the R-T-E cereal art as "bowl life." While bowl lives as long as possible are desirable, it is particularly desirable to have an added ingredient having a bowl life of at least two minutes.
Still another desirable attribute for an added ingredient in R-T-E cereals is to have a high flavor impact. Generally, added ingredients are used in smaller proportions compared to the larger proportions of the R-T-E cereal base. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a strong flavor in the added ingredients.
Applicants have surprisingly discovered that improved, edible foam products can be prepared using high intensity microwave heating to set a wet foam prior to subsequent dehydration. High intensity microwave heating to heat set the edible foam surprisingly results in a very rapid heat setting step that minimizes heat related flavor degradation. Additionally, the short heating step minimizes losses in foam volume that sometimes can occur due to foam cell collapse upon extended heating. The finished edible foam products herein find particular suitability for use as added ingredients to R-T-E cereals.